Attachment for feeding wool



Jan. 5, 1954 J. ROBERTS 2,665,014

ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING WOOL Filed June 5, 1952 Inventor M W W Attorney Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR FEEDING WOOL John Roberts, Bradford, England Application June 5, 1952, Serial No. 291,908

2 Claims.

This invention relates to attachments to agitating machines for use in opening materials such as raw wool, textile and like fibres or materials and in particular attachments for feeding raw wool, textile and like fibres or materials carried by a conveyor belt from a hopper to the drum of the agitating machine, and has for its chief object to provide a new or improved method of feeding wool or the like into the agitator drum which will permit predetermined quantities of wool or the like to be fed into the drum at predetermined intervals, in such manner that the wool will be thrust into the drum thereby ensuring displacement of the wool or the like about the centre of the axis of the drum, reducing the tendency for the wool to be blown back by the back draught created by the revolving beater arm situated in the drum.

According to the invention the wool or like fibres or materials are fed from a hopper by way of a conveyor belt and arranged to fall into a pocket or well formed by a canvas, rubber, plastic or the like sheet suspended between the frame of the machine and the free edge of the insertion door on the drum, when the door is closed, opening of the door pulls the canvas or like sheet taut, this action thrusting the wool or the like contained in the pocket or well formed by the sheet through the opening in the drum. Feeding of the wool or the like from the hopper will be continuous whilst the opening and closing of the door may be operated mechanically, hydraulically or by any suitable means and will be arranged to open and close at predetermined intervals so that the amount of wool or the like collecting in the pocket formed by the sheet when the door is in its closed position will be determined by the time lag between the opening and closing of the door which may be varied to suit requirements of the wool being subject to agitation.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will now be more clearly described with reference to and by the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a feeding attachment for a wool agitating machine showing drum door closed.

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1 showing drum door open.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the invention applied to a wool agitating machine, the drum I is provided with an insertion door 2 hinged at its lower edge 3 to the drum l, the upper free edge of the door 2 having one end 4 of a canvas, rubber, plastic or like strip 5 secured thereto which extends and has its free end 6 secured to an upper frame member 1 above the door 2 and below the end of the conveyor belt 8 in such a manner that the strip 5 hangs in a substantially vertical position being taut when the door 2 is open (see Figure 2) and forming a loop to provide a well or pocket 9 when the door 2 is closed (Figure 1).

A freely rotatable roller [0 is mounted on the 2 frame about the centre of the canvas, plastic, rubber or the like strip 5, said roller It being adjacent the drum I and arranged to support the sheet 5 which passes over it, this arrangement assisting in the direction of the wool l I being thrust into the drum 1.

It will be appreciated that the opening and closing of the door will be a rapid action to provide quick tensioning of the canvas or like strip.

The door may be operated mechanically, hydraulically or by any suitable means (not shown) and adjustment will be provided to vary the time lag between opening and closing to suit requirement of the wool being subject to agitation.

A hopper (not shown) is provided from which the wool II is fed on a continuous conveyor 8 which carries the wool to a point above the upper end of the canvas, plastic, rubber or like strip 5 from which the wool I I falls into the pocket or well 9 provided by the strip 5 when the door 2 is closed.

The attachment provides a quicker and more efiicient means of feeding wool into the agitator and ensures better distribution of the wool within the drum.

I claim:

1. A device for feeding textile fibres into an agitating machine comprising, in combination, a drum, a feeding door hinged to the periphery of said drum, a sheet of flexible material, an endless conveyor for feeding fibre on to said sheet, said sheet being looped to form a receiving pocket for the fibre, one end of said sheet secured to the free outer edge of said feeding door and the other end being fixed at a point below and behind the forward end of the conveyor, the opening of said feeding door causing the sheet to tighten and remove the receiving pocket so that the textile fibre is projected through the open door into the drum.

2. A device for feeding textile fibres into an agitating machine comprising, in combination, a drum, a feeding door hinged to the periphery of said drum, a sheet of flexible material, an endless conveyor for feeding fibre on to said sheet, said sheet being looped to form a receiving pocket for the fibre, one end of said sheet secured to the free outer edge of said feeding door and the other end being fixed at a point below and behind the forward end of the conveyor, a freely rotatable roller being mounted midway between the ends of the sheet said pocket being formed between the roller and the feeding door of the drum, the opening of said feeding door causing the sheet to tighten on the rotatable roller and remove the receiving pocket so that the textile fibre is projected through the open door into the drum.

JOHN ROBERTS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,867 Curley et a1. Dec. 29, 1914 2,121,786 Carroll June 28, 1938 

